Archive for June, 2010

In some instances a consumer can take a free look at a Florida health insurance policy of their choice. Certain restrictions may apply.

“Picking out the right health insurance policy can certainly test one’s patience, but honestly, there are so many ways to make that process easier, that the more you know, the less you have to do to find what you need. Sure, it’s one of the biggest decisions you will make during your life and of course, it will directly affect your life too by the quality of the health care options you have,” remarked Evan Tunis of Florida Health Care Insurance, Delray Beach, Florida.

Many people tend to look at getting Florida health insurance as being something they really don’t need because they don’t see the doctor that often. “While that may be true generally speaking, what happens when a major life event unfolds – a broken leg, head injuries, broken ribs or heart problems? Medical bills for those events could put someone into medical bankruptcy. Get covered and put those worries on the shelf knowing if something does happen, your policy ‘does’ have your back,” added Tunis.

Finding and buying the right individual health insurance plans remains among the most important decisions you should make in your life. The policies are investments you should be taking by now before any health problem comes in. Here are several ways on how you could successfully whittle down your choices and maintain costs for co-payments, premiums, and prescriptions.

“Start looking for a policy that suits you in your immediate location; oftentimes they are much better prices than if you go nationally. Not to mention the fact that you will get personal service locally from an expert health insurance broker. Check around for pricing and make sure to ask lots of questions. After all, it’s ‘your’ health and you need to know what you are covered for and what you are not covered for. Who needs nasty surprises later?” Tunis pointed out.

“Before looking for Florida health insurance, make a list of all the things that are important to you; things you absolutely need to have and make sure you mention these to the health insurance broker. If you’ve taken the time to do that – identify your personal preferences – finding what you want is easier. For instance, let’s say you want lower premiums, a good choice of doctors and excellent customer service,” Tunis remarked. If the insurance agent knows these things, it helps them look for a policy to fit their customer’s needs.

While many people these days try to find their own health insurance, it’s really a good idea to use the services of a broker or agent. Why? “Because they know their industry inside out, where the deals are, what would work for you, and what would not. They also know just about every available option in which you may be interested. It saves you the time and hassle hunting online when you aren’t quite sure what you are looking at,” said Tunis.

“One final thing you should know about, and many people don’t know this, is that you can actually try out the health care option that you want; kick the tires for free so to speak. You need to ask your agent about that, as a free trial would give you a refund if you don’t like the policy you chose, but it would need to be within a certain period of time. There are certain restrictions and various guidelines which you would also have to follow. It might be worth checking into,” suggested Tunis.

There is a myth that says if you don’t have Florida health insurance, you are saving money. That is not accurate.

There are a whole lot of myths floating around out there and online in cyberspace about how cheaply you can live if you aren’t paying for health insurance. Furthermore, people think that if they don’t pay premiums for health insurance that they are saving money. This is not the case. All it takes is one single accident such as breaking your leg, and you are in a world of hurt physically and financially.

Did you know that the price of fixing a broken leg may run to $60,000? Who has that kind of money on hand to pay their medical bills? The answer to that is not many people have that kind of money, and if they did and paid the bill, they would then be broke or bankrupt. Have you taken a close look at how many medical bankruptcies there are these days? Frightening, isn’t it?

Thanks to the recent changes to health care, Florida health insurance is one of the most “in demand” products on the market. And why not; everyone will be mandated to have it in the future, so they may as well start searching for the right health insurance now. It honestly makes more sense to have health insurance that covers you for those medical emergencies in life and other things you need (meds for your kids) rather than take a chance without coverage.

Now is the perfect time to start looking around for the right plan that works for you alone, or for you and your family. You will need to compare quotes from various places, but that doesn’t take too long. Ask questions and then ask more questions, because you can never have too much information when it comes to protecting your health and welfare. If you want to save money, “this” is where you will save it – when looking for deals for Florida health insurance.

Go for the gold when you hunt down health insurance policies and get quotes from about 5 companies. From there, find out what they offer in terms of coverage and what suits your needs. Remember, your “needs” are far more important than your
“wants,” as wants tend to come with a higher price tag premium wise. Chances are the things you “want versus need” are also things you can do without – for now. That doesn’t mean you can’t change your mind and your coverage later.

As many of you already know giving blood is not a pleasant experience. However to get any sort of Florida Term Life Insurance this is a prerequisite. However like Bob Dylan said, “Time They Are a Changing.”

Several A Rated Insurance Carriers have begun offering simplified issue term products with no urine or blood samples needed. These plans are available in 10-, 15-, 20- and 30-year terms with coverage up to $350,000.

If others depend on you, it’s likely best that you have life insurance in place. You are never too young to have life insurance.

It doesn’t matter how old or how young you are, if you have people that depend on you, then it’s generally best if you have Florida life insurance in place to care for them if something happens to you. Granted, many young people don’t seem to think death is just around the corner, but the reality of life is that death can and does happen to everyone, and sometimes unexpectedly; e.g., as the result of a car accident.

Some younger people don’t think they need life insurance, and they may be right. It is a personal choice and one that each person needs to make for themselves based on their lifestyle. Ideally, the right time to buy life insurance is when someone else is financially dependent on you – and that may happen at any age these days. So don’t automatically rule out buying life insurance because you think you are “too” young.

One thing to keep in mind is this: you buy Florida life insurance because “you” need it, not because it might seem like the right thing to do at the moment because everyone else is buying it, and you certainly don’t want to be purchasing it just because someone is selling it – whether they’re a relative or not.

Still not sure what life insurance means? The simplest way to explain it is that life insurance is the insurance company betting that you will live a nice long life and you are hedging your bets, just in case. You’re transferring the risk of death (yours) to the insurance company in exchange for paying them your premiums. Is that a good deal? It depends on the circumstances and what type of life insurance you opt to buy. This is something about which you need to talk to a qualified Florida life insurance expert.

One thing to keep in mind is that ideally, you want to consider what stage of your life you’re at before you buy life insurance. For example, if you have no kids and are footloose and fancy free single, you might not need it yet. On the other hand, if you are the sole support for ill parents, you may need to rethink having it early.

The bottom line is this: think about your lifestyle and obligations to others. If you have questions, talk them over with an expert life insurance agent. They have various options and plans that will suit just about any situation.

People tend to avoid HSAs because they aren’t familiar with how they work. They’re well worth considering because they save money.

Health savings accounts, otherwise referred to as HSAs, are very well advertised, but for some reason people tend to avoid them. There isn’t a really clear reason for that because on closer examination HSAs have the distinct advantage of saving you money, and who doesn’t want to do that these days?

The one thing you need to remember is that the HSA may only be used in combination with a high deductible health plan (HDHP). The two health care companions function as a tag team, to distribute health insurance and operate as a payment plan. When used together, you get some nice price breaks and the actual benefits extend beyond what your typical Florida health insurance plan may offer.

Setting up an HSA is actually really easy. All you have to do is go to the bank or another financial institution. Remember, you also need to get signed up for an HSA qualified HDHP that will have a minimum deductible of anywhere from $1,200 to $2,400, depending on whether it’s individual insurance or a family plan. So, along those same lines, if the plan is just for you, you may put in the maximum of $3,050 or $6,150 for a family. For those over the age of 55, they may toss in an extra $1,000 every year as a catch-up contribution.

You know what the best thing is about an HSA? You’ll love this if you happen to be younger and in fairly good health, or, older and in good health. If you have a good year and don’t have that many medical expenses, you get to keep what’s in the account for future use. Not a bad deal hey? In fact, you can keep adding money every year, so long as you don’t go over the contribution limit. Note: the yearly contributions have a set limit, but the total savings in the account can be as much as you let it grow. That’s pretty appealing; along with the fact you get to control how you spend the money.

Did you know that HSA money is tax deductible? And, not only that, but it grows “tax free” for as long as you use it to pay for “medical expenses.” That brings up a question I hear quite a lot and that involves what people can use their HSA account money for in the first place. The answer to that is you may use it for alternative treatments (acupuncture), some over the counter medicines and even most dental procedures. Hint: not all insurance companies count these payments as part of your deductible, so you might want to check that out first.

The good news is that the list of HSA qualified expenses is nice and long, which is a great benefit to you, because it means you don’t need to separate coverage for things like prescription drugs, dental or vision care. This saves you money as well. The bottom line is an HSA is worth trying.

With Healthcare Reform already passed an unexpected consequence has begun to occur: the rising of health insurance premiums. Beginning in January of 2011 all carriers are required to have their medical loss ratio(MLR) be equal to 80%.

What does this mean for the consumer? Carriers need to make up for you loss of profit and since guaranteed issue Florida health insurance won’t occur till 2014 this is one of the few options carriers have.

So if you are thinking about getting health insurance or want to see if you can get a cheaper plan it is better to act sooner rather than later.